find what you're looking for?
by bs13
Summary: AU. Nomi's crushing on the cute girl in the bookstore, and it just so happens that Lito fancies himself an excellent matchmaker. (The others aren't quite so sure.)


**i didn't want to post this on this site (ao3 is so much easier to navigate ngl), but i felt like i'd be betraying this site...so i caved. i posted this ugly oneshot! i'm sorry. i don't have a good grasp on the sense8 characters yet.**

 **includes: amanita/nomi, lito/hernando, mentioned kala/wolfgang and will/riley, and sun and capheus being my faves. also it's just...a modern au? within a modern au? there's just no sci-fi elements ok.**

* * *

Lito notices first.

Of course he finds it strange that Nomi always insists on going to the same bookstore, but to be honest, the bookstore _does_ have a section of books in Spanish and he quite enjoys it too. But today, as he finally leaves the Spanish section to see what else they have, he sees Nomi hovering by the college textbook area. Immediately, his interest is piqued, because a) Nomi is definitely out of college (the nerd), and b) she isn't even _looking_ at the books.

He feigns interest in the cookbooks behind her, momentarily thinking of Hernando when he does, before ultimately focusing on her line of sight. It looks like she's checking out the girl behind the checkout counter, a short black girl with a wide, sunny smile and multicolored dreads that sway with every movement she makes. Objectively, Lito knows an attractive woman when he sees one, and he also sees the flashing _crush_ _alert_ written all over Nomi's face.

He decides not to say anything when, once again, Nomi leaves the store empty-handed (citing her inability to see anything she liked—as _if_ , since she seemed to like that girl plenty). Instead, he takes home a cookbook for Hernando and buys them both coffee from the Starbucks next door.

After he drops Nomi off at home, he immediately opens a group chat on his phone and texts their other friends, _important. please tell me who is next to take nomi to bookstore._

Sun replies, _She should just go to the library. She never buys anything._

Luckily, Kala replies next. _I'm going with her this weekend._

Lito quickly calls her, and when she picks up, grins. "I have a plan," he announces proudly. "And I need your help."

.

.

.

 _Plan A: Draw the girl behind the counter to the textbook section._

"It's foolproof," Lito says proudly, and he writes it out in his cute little notebook Dani had gotten him. He shows it off to Hernando, after sending a quick play-by-play to Kala over text.

Hernando humors him and takes a quick look, but ultimately turns back to the fish frying on the stove. "It seems like a long shot," he says. "Do you even know if the girl Nomi is crushing on isn't straight?"

Lito frowns, and then types out a _new_ message to Kala on his phone.

.

.

.

Kala, much like the rest of their friends, never questioned Nomi's constant need to go to the same bookstore. All of them have their habits. Sun can never go without a round in the (illegal) ring once in a while. Capheus can't function without watching a Van Damme movie every chance he gets. Wolfgang always has to punch something—or someone, no matter the time of day. Drugs are Riley's weakness. Will works out until he's sore. Lito, despite his protests, really can't quit watching telenovelas. And Kala? Religion is her safehaven, the one thing she can't forsake.

But when Lito says that Nomi is crushing on the cute girl behind the checkout counter, Kala is surprised that it's taken her so long to see that. Nomi does like books—so browsing textbooks isn't out of the question—but it _is_ strange that she just hovers by the college textbook section every day. Kala offers to accompany her today, but Nomi insists she's fine.

Kala lingers by the history book section, though, just across from the textbook area. She briefly wonders if it's worth trying to engage Lito's crazy plan, but she finally sighs, looks down at the textbook title printed on her palm, and heads over to the girl behind the checkout counter.

"Hello," Kala tells the girl pleasantly.

"Oh, hi!" the girl looks surprised to see Kala standing there, no book in hand. "You come here often, don't you?"

"Yes, with my friend," Kala says with a smile, subtly gesturing to Nomi, who has noticed Kala going over to her crush and is pretending to be engrossed in studying a chemistry textbook. "I was wondering if you could help me find a book?"

The girl's bright smile falters. "I wish I could, but I'm not allowed to leave this counter," she says, gesturing to the empty registers next to her. "Since I'm the only one manning a register and all. I can page another employee if you'd like? I know they tend to hide out in the back if they can."

Well, it _was_ worth a shot. "Sure," Kala agrees, and she's forced to allow a bored employee take her to where Nomi is and pluck a book (in plain sight) from the shelf and hand it over.

Nomi looks at Kala curiously once the employee is gone. "Why do you need a textbook on LGBT rights?" she asks.

Kala silently curses Lito in her head. _None_ of that is subtle. "Lito wanted it," she blurts out. "He said he wanted to give it to Dani. For a birthday present."

"His beard? Or, ex-beard?" Nomi says dubiously. "For what?"

"I don't...know," Kala replies nervously. "Um, what are you looking for?"

 _That_ dissuades Nomi's questions, as her cheeks turn pink. "I was just looking at some of the science textbooks," she lies. "But I don't think I really want anything."

"Maybe we should go, then," Kala suggests. "Hernando is cooking tonight. I offered to bring him some spices."

"That sounds good," Nomi says, and as they move to leave, Nomi suddenly stops. "Oh, wait! You need to pay for your book."

So Kala begrudgingly takes the textbook to the girl behind the checkout counter. She is absolutely horrified to find that it costs sixty-seven dollars, a charge that her parents (who view her credit card records) will surely question. Lito is _so_ paying her back for it.

"LGBT rights, huh?" the girl says cheerfully. "That's my favorite subject." She winks at Kala as she hands over the bag, and only then does Kala notice the girl is wearing a nametag. _Amanita_ , it reads.

Kala smiles pleasantly back. "It's actually for my friend," she says, just to make it abundantly clear that Nomi is not straight, as Lito likely intended in his steamroller plan. "She's a bit shy."

Amanita smirks. "I can see that," she says, and when Kala and Nomi leave, Kala swears she sees Amanita watch them go in renewed interest.

.

.

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 _Plan B: Leave Nomi with no ride, so the girl behind the counter will be more likely to walk over and offer help. Also: bring two coffees._

"We have a name for the girl Nomi is crushing on," Lito tells Hernando as he tangles their fingers together excitedly. "Amanita. It's cute, no?"

"If you say so." Hernando smiles that crooked grin, and Lito can't help but lean forward and kiss it.

Then, just remembering, "Oh! And she is probably not straight. The book worked," Lito says. "Now I hope she enjoys coffee as much as she does LGBT history."

"Better keep it black," Hernando warns. "Vegans are among us."

.

.

.

Will isn't so on board on the whole get-Amanita-and-Nomi-together thing.

"Shouldn't they decide if they want to date each other?" he asks Lito skeptically over the phone. "I don't know what I can do to help that along."

"That's why I have a plan," Lito huffs, "if you'd care to listen."

Will cranes his neck to look at Nomi's apartment; it doesn't look like she's seen his car yet. "Fine, tell me quickly," he sighs, and he can practically _hear_ Lito's wide grin.

When Will and Nomi arrive at the bookstore, he drops her off at the front. "I'll park," he tells her. "And see you inside."

"Okay." Nomi gets out without suspicion, as it's not the first time Will's done this; he sometimes will stop by at the Starbucks first, and then come in with two drinks and will leave Nomi to her devices.

Will won't admit it, but he feels like a shitty cop for not even noticing that Nomi spends all her time in the college textbook section. It's likely because he always goes to look at the mystery novels towards the back of the store, but still. So if he can make it up—even with Lito's questionable plan—he will.

He dresses up in his police vest and straps on his gun, fully looking like the cop he is (at least, on days when he's on the clock). He stops by Starbucks first, and then reenters the bookstore, two coffees in hand.

Amanita, from behind the counter, looks visibly surprised. She's seen Will come inside the bookstore numerous times with Nomi, but never in uniform. Nomi, for her part, looks more bewildered than anything.

"Will, what are you doing?" Nomi asks as she takes her coffee.

"Diego radioed me. There was a call about shots fired on the west side of town," Will lies, and he's never been a good actor, but Nomi seems to believe that.

"So we have to leave?"

"No, no, you stay here," Will insists. "It won't take long; I'll probably be back in an hour." As he makes to leave, he hands Nomi the second coffee and adds, "Oh, by the way, can you get rid of this for me? The barista gave me two. Probably the uniform."

And then he leaves, confident he's helped, but it's not until he's driving home that it hits him: Lito's essentially asked Will to abandon Nomi at the bookstore with no way home until it closes. Will realizes how stupid this is, and of course promptly returns about half an hour later out of guilt.

He finds Nomi still by the textbooks, this time with an older man excitedly talking her up. Nomi looks bored to death. And maybe slightly alarmed that a man is hitting on her. Will, still in his uniform, gladly scares him off.

"That was quick," Nomi says as she and Will walk out of the bookstore together. "What happened?"

"False alarm," Will replies. "You were, uh, okay back there?"

"Of course. It's not the first time men have tried to fetishize me," Nomi says nonchalantly, but she frowns a second later. "Damn it. I forgot my coffee back at the store."

.

.

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 _Plan C: Have Sun start a fight in the line to the checkout counter. It will draw both the girl behind it and Nomi out to confront Sun._

Dani's the one who suggests this one. "Sun is badass," she says brightly. "It will make Nomi look cooler, to have cool friends."

Lito frowns at that. "She has me. I'm cool."

"You're an actor for TV commercials," Dani snorts, "hardly a telenovela star."

.

.

.

It's Sun's turn next to accompany Nomi, and she listens to Lito's plan for all of two seconds before disagreeing. "That's stupid," she says when Lito suggests she fight a complete stranger just to draw in Nomi and Amanita.

"Take Capheus! You two can stage a fight if that will make it better," Lito argues, but Sun just hangs up on him.

Nomi disappears into the textbooks a second later, and Sun watches out of the corner of her eye how Amanita's eyes seem to follow Nomi. Usually Sun goes to the celebrity memoirs when she brings Nomi to the bookstore, but this time she casually strides up to Amanita.

"I am well-trained in mixed martial arts," Sun informs Amanita coolly. "And if you hurt her, you will regret it."

And then she _does_ head over to the celebrity memoirs.

(Later, Nomi asks what that was all about. Sun assures her it's taken care of, and never elaborates on what "it" _is_.)

.

.

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 _Plan D: Draw out Amanita somehow. Just. Any way possible. Violence is NOT allowed._

"I thought Kala said Amanita couldn't leave her counter," Hernando whispers over Lito's shoulder, voice rough with sleep and his beard tickling the side of Lito's neck.

Lito, who has been up for the past hour and furiously scribbling on his journal, sighs. "I know, but I think Wolfgang is next," he bemoans, "and I can't think of what else he can do."

"Isn't he the one who beat up Dani's ex-boyfriend when he showed up at our door?"

"He _is_ a scary German man," Lito mutters, scribbling out yet another sentence, before he brightens. " _Wait_."

.

.

.

When Wolfgang accompanies Nomi to the bookstore, then she realizes something's up.

"You never come inside," Nomi says quietly as she and Wolfgang make their way through the double doors. It's true; whenever it's Wolfgang's turn to drive her, he goes to sleep in the car.

"Kala wanted me to pick up a book for her," Wolfgang lies easily. "It's not a big deal."

When Nomi heads to her usual section, Wolfgang strides over to the cookbooks and pretends he's looking through the titles. Really, though, he watches Amanita, silently sizing her up. She seems friendly enough, if the way she smiles and talks is any indication. There is a natural kindness to her, one that could rival Kala's. It endears him a bit, he'll admit.

So he humors Lito's stupid plan and sweeps half of the cookbooks off the shelf, and begins cursing in German for good measure, as if he's throwing a fit. Nomi hears him and turns around, jaw dropping in horror. Amanita looks ready to jump across the counter to get over there, but then a different employee comes barreling out of the back room.

Yeah, the only thing that happens that day is Wolfgang being evicted from the premises and Nomi angrily walking out after him. The car ride back to her apartment is pretty quiet.

.

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 _Plan E: Flirt with Amanita, to provoke jealousy on Nomi's part. Anyone can try this, because no one knows Amanita's sexual and/or romantic orientation yet._

"This may be the one thing that will actually work," Dani says over the glass of wine she, Lito, and Hernando keep passing among themselves to avoid washing dishes. She looks actually impressed, and is nodding her head encouragingly as Hernando tops her off.

Lito beams for a moment, but the smile drops in an instant. "What do you mean the _one thing_?"

.

.

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Capheus is all too eager to help out, citing a love of seeing his friends prosper. However, he is understandably hesitant of Lito's plan.

"I am not good at expressing romantic interest in others," he tells Lito worriedly as they discuss the plan over lunch.

"It is simple, my friend," Lito says reassuringly. "You must ask the girl behind the counter if she would be interested in a date. Then, offer your number!"

Hernando is bringing by drinks at that point, and he laughs. " _Dios mio_ , it's a good thing you're dating me, because you have no game," he muses, kissing Lito's cheek.

Lito bats him away. "Shut up, I have game!"

"Oh?" Hernando chuckles. "When I asked you out, you stared at me for ten seconds straight without saying anything, and then you turned and ran away."

"That...is not true, Capheus, don't believe him!"

But Capheus smiles anyway, and he takes a sip from the lemonade Hernando's prepared. "This is great," he says warmly. "Thank you, Hernando."

"You're welcome," Hernando replies, just as kindly. "And if you ever do need help with asking out someone..."

"Right, I'll come to you and not Lito," Capheus agrees, and both he and Hernando laugh at the indignant expression Lito dons.

By the time Capheus _does_ take Nomi to the bookstore, he's much more nervous than he lets on. He even offers Nomi driving lessons—something he's offered less and less since Nomi keeps crashing his beautiful car—in an attempt to get her to avoid the bookstore today. (It doesn't work.)

"If you don't want to go in, you can just drop me off," Nomi suggests as Capheus parks.

Capheus shakes his head, plastering a smile on his face. "No, no. It's fine. Please, let's go."

Inside, he lingers by his usual section—the comic and graphic novel area—before giving in and walking up to Amanita.

"Hello," he says, smiling as she looks at him expectantly, "I am Capheus." He holds out his hand, too, because his mother raised a _gentleman_.

"Hi," says Amanita, smiling as she always does to her customers: politely. "I'm Amanita, if the nametag didn't tip you off."

"Amanita. It is a beautiful name." Capheus stays silent perhaps a second too long, because Amanita furrows her brow.

"I'm sorry, did you need something, or—?"

Capheus flushes. "I—meant to ask, actually, if you would be interested in a date?"

Amanita's smile comes back, but it's _clearly_ forced. "That's nice of you, but I'm pretty sure I'm not what you're looking for."

"You're not?"

"Nope. You'd have a better chance with someone who _isn't_ a lesbian," Amanita tells him, and Capheus nearly sighs in damn _relief_.

"Well," Capheus moves back, enjoying the way Nomi is clearly eyeing them both, "I'm definitely not what you're looking for either, then."

"Clearly." Amanita's smile has relaxed, a clear indication that she's relieved at how Capheus has taken the information.

"But if you don't have a girlfriend," Capheus adds, leaning in close so Amanita hears, "my friend is single."

Then he does go, and when Nomi asks him in the car what he'd been asking the girl behind the counter, he replies with a lie about some torn comic books hidden in the back that he'd found. Luckily, she believes him. (And doesn't ask about driving lessons.)

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 _Plan F: Jealousy is apparently lost on Capheus. Get a girl's perspective._

"This is good. One hurdle out of the way." Lito checks off the little checklist he'd fashioned; one of the little boxes says "not straight" and it's the greatest triumph yet. The other two—single and interested—are sadly not as easy to mark off.

"Yes, it is, but can you keep your paper away from my ceviche?" Hernando fusses, moving the dish out of Lito's path.

"Hernando, please, I am saving Nomi's pathetic life here," Lito huffs, indignant, but he balances his journal on his knee instead. "She's going to thank me for this. You'll see."

"Somehow," Hernando says, voice betraying his fondness, "I think she might find your meddling less sweet than I do."

.

.

.

Riley isn't so sure of what to do when Lito comes to her door, crazy plan in mind and begging her to participate. Everyone else has helped (or so he claims, because Riley can't imagine Sun and Wolfgang had been over the moon with Lito's silly plan). Still, she humors him, and even pours him a cup of tea while she has a smoke.

"I don't like to flirt," Riley admits, blowing a slow ring of smoke out towards the ceiling.

"But you can, can't you?" Lito asks desperately. "You're our only hope. Nomi's crush is a lesbian, and Kala and Sun aren't exactly winning contenders when it comes to the acting department."

Riley sighs. She's been in a lot of shitty situations; she knows the routine of playing off of poor suckers who will drop everything for a bat of eyelashes and a messy kiss in a gritty, sweaty alleyway like the back of her hand. But that's behind her now, and good as she is, she hates being the one to manipulate and lie.

But. Nomi is a really good friend. Riley doesn't know her as well as she knows the others in their mismatched group of friends, but it's clear Nomi's had her fair amount of shit in life and has come to own her identity. If that isn't the bravest thing Riley's ever seen, then she doesn't know what is.

"For Nomi," Riley groans, "I'll do it."

"You're an _angel_." Lito beams and kisses her hand. "Are you taking her today? Make sure to dress to impress the girl, okay?"

Riley toys with the ends of her dyed hair, frowning. "What's that supposed to mean? You don't even dress yourself!"

"I have a stylist! I'm an _actor_."

"You've been in three toothpaste commercials. You're hardly an actor." Riley tugs on her black boots, then sheds her oversized sweater and walks into her room, clad in her bra, as Lito makes a show of complaining to stop stripping in front of him.

"And one commercial was for bread!" Lito finishes after her, but Riley just slams her bedroom door shut.

By the time she actually arrives at the bookstore with Nomi, Riley fights the instinct to bolt, her fingers itching to reach into her pocket for a cigarette. Nomi goes right ahead to the college textbook section, but Riley doesn't head back to the CD section just yet. Instead, she follows Nomi, letting her fingertips trail over the book titles.

"Doing some light reading?" Riley asks.

Nomi starts, clearly not expecting Riley to have followed. "Just looking," she answers lamely, and her eyes don't dart to Amanita behind the counter, but Riley knows what, exactly, Nomi was looking at.

"That girl's always there," Riley says after a moment, looking past Nomi's head to Amanita. "Do you think she gets bored?"

Nomi shrugs. "I don't know." She looks back at the row of textbooks reflexively, but before she can turn back and justify her answer, Riley's already gone over to Amanita.

Amanita's reading when Riley approaches, but she looks up, her hair slipping over one shoulder. "Hi," Amanita says, "can I help you?" It's clear she isn't surprised that one of Nomi's companions has come over to talk to her again, if anything.

"I was wondering," Riley starts, then pauses. "About what...you're reading. It looks interesting."

Amanita raises her eyebrows at that. "Really? That's the best you can go with?"

Riley opens her mouth, confused. "I'm...sorry?"

"I get it, you're all trying to pimp me out to your friend," Amanita says with a laugh. "You're not subtle. I mean, the last guy basically told me she was single."

"What?"

"Plus, one of your friends tried to threaten me at one point," Amanita adds. "It's nice that you all want her to be happy, though. Kind of scary, but nice."

Riley hadn't expected _this_ in the plan. But she rolls with it. "Forgive them," Riley sighs, "they're all hopeless with romance. You're welcome to let your girlfriend set them straight."

"No girlfriend," says Amanita. "But hopefully you can still make them stop? Because your friend is cute, not gonna lie, and she is definitely my type. But I've always believed in something like fate. If it happens, it happens. You know?"

"Romantic," Riley remarks. "I understand. But between you and me, she definitely doesn't come back all the time to read textbooks."

And she departs at that, not once looking back to gauge Amanita's reaction.

.

.

.

"I've failed, Hernando."

Hernando just rolls his eyes and keeps chopping the cilantro on the cutting board, briefly looking at the living room where Lito is thrown dramatically over the couch. Dani's sitting there with him, occasionally patting his head in sympathy, but more entranced by the telenovela onscreen than anything else.

"You did the best you could," Hernando finally says, and he sweeps the cilantro into a bowl.

"But it wasn't _enough_! Everyone is so happy but her. I have you, and Kala and Wolfgang have each other, and Riley and Will are together..." Lito trails off and moans, "Sun and Capheus are happy without someone, but Nomi isn't. She _wants_ someone, and it can't possibly be good for her to be so lonely!"

Hernando smiles, and abandons his place to go nudge Lito's legs into his lap, forcing their foreheads together. "With such meddling friends, I'm sure she isn't lonely," he says. "She is very lucky to have a friend like you, and to have so many people willing to help her be happier."

"But I _failed_."

"Maybe." Hernando's thumb traces the edge of Lito's jaw, and he makes their eyes meet, if only to see the way Lito's eyes fill with softness. "But you have so much heart, mi amor, and I know Nomi appreciates everything you do. There will be other girls to meddle with, someday. It isn't over."

Lito kisses him then, a soft, gentle graze, just to let Hernando know he feels somewhat better. Hernando smiles again, and Lito mirrors the action, and the next kiss is firmer, more sure, like Hernando's kiss always is.

"Awww," Dani swoons. "You two are cuter than the novela."

Lito and Hernando break apart, laughing, but not before Lito squeezes Hernando's chin in thanks.

"I'll have you know that if we were in a novela, we would outrank everybody," Lito quips, but Dani laughs.

"Keep telling yourself that, toothpaste actor."

"And _bread_. Why does everyone always forget the bread?!"

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.

.

Nomi walks into the bookstore by herself, reminding herself to never go on a bus again.

Her friends have been acting weird. She's noticed. They've always been gracious in driving her around, though, so she can't complain; the last thing she ever wants to do is go on a long bus ride just to get to this bookstore. Besides, maybe it's time Nomi leave the bookstore behind; the girl she crushes on here just looks too unapproachable. Nomi's a coward, okay? She'll admit it.

So she wanders today, with none of her friends around, and looks at the places they frequent. The Spanish section, the comic books, the celebrity memoirs, the music—it reminds her so much of the mismatched family they've made, all of them falling into place with one another over the years. It makes her smile.

"Excuse me?"

Nomi turns away from the textbook she'd been looking at. (Somehow she'd found her way back to the college textbook section.) Then, she nearly drops the book altogether. It's _her_ , the girl from the counter, with a smile on her face and her hands apologetically up.

"Sorry," Nomi blurts out, and she sets the book down. "Was I—in the way?"

"A bit." The girl stays smiling, and then she looks at the books around them. "I see you in here all the time," she notes. "Can't find what you're looking for?"

"It's peaceful here," says Nomi shyly. "I guess I'm not exactly one to branch out."

"I can relate." The girl holds out her hand, then. "In all this time, I've never gotten your name. I'm Amanita."

"I'm Nomi," Nomi says, and she shakes Amanita's hand, just then noticing the box balanced in Amanita's other hand. "I guess I should let you finish your...stacking. Sorry, again."

"No problem." Amanita looks at Nomi strangely, biting her lip, as if searching for something she can't find. "Listen, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but...you're alone today? What's with that?"

All Nomi's thinking is _you notice when I come in?_ , but she blinks in reality and says, "Oh. My friends were...busy today."

"Hmm," Amanita hums, and she sets the box down and starts fitting books into shelves without another word. Then, "They really care about you. Your friends."

"I guess so," Nomi says, slightly confused. "I like them, anyway."

Amanita stops her work, and she looks at Nomi again, realization finally dawning on her. "You have no idea, do you?"

"About...what?"

"All this time..." Amanita trails off, and she picks up the box again. "I finish my shift in ten minutes. Wait here for me?"

"Sure?" Nomi says it like a question, unsure what's even happening. Did she really just talk to the girl she's been crushing on for months like it's nothing? And does she even understand what Amanita's going on about?

Amanita comes back ten minutes later, as promised, box-free and bag slung over her shoulder. "I'm going to be straight with you," she starts, then smirks. "Or not so straight, because I'd like to get coffee with you. Not today necessarily, but also...the Starbucks next door has never let me down."

Nomi is _extremely_ surprised. "Like...a date?"

"Exactly like a date. What do you say?" Amanita asks. "And I promise I'll get you up-to-date on everything that is probably confusing that beautiful brain of yours."

This time, Nomi smiles, and she lets Amanita lead the way.

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.

.

Lito wakes up the next morning, Hernando in his arms and Dani nuzzled into his back, to a bunch of texts from all his friends. At first he wonders if they're planning some meeting, but then he flips through them all and starts slowly becoming more and more excited.

Kala's all read as some variation as, _Call Nomi. She's mad at me for you._

Capheus's are all ranges of happy emojis, as well as several exclamation points around Nomi and Amanita's names.

Wolfgang's just read _answer Kala_ , likely not sent by him.

Will's read, _Nomi is pissed. Answer for your crimes._

Riley's are all poetic as fuck, but mostly end up with one goal in mind: _talk to Nomi._

Sun's are mostly tidbits of random things Nomi had told her over the phone, apparently, and a demand that Lito tell Nomi _his_ foolish plan, and how Sun executed her own much better.

But Nomi's? They're all wonderful, beautiful variations of _Lito what the fuck_ and _I can get girls without your help_ and finally, beautifully, _I guess I should thank you a little bit_. Then she sends a picture of herself and Amanita—and Lito's heart melts.

"Hernando, Hernando, wake up!" Lito yells, jarring both Hernando and Dani from sleep. "I've done it—somehow, I don't know—I got Nomi a girlfriend! She's with the girl from the bookstore!"

Dani groans and buries her face into the sheets, but Hernando sleepily sits up and pushes his glasses on.

"That's great," he says tenderly, and wraps his arms around Lito. "I knew you could do it."

Lito excitedly kisses him, and then jumps out of bed. "Let's go visit her! I'll call the others. Get dressed—we have to go now! I'm breaking out the champagne. This is a time for celebration!"

His voice dies down as he walks further into the apartment, and Dani lifts her head up. "Bet you twenty he tries to get Nomi to propose in the next two weeks."

Hernando scoffs and gets out of bed himself. "I bet you nothing, because that's exactly what he's going to do."

"I'll warn the girlfriend," Dani yawns, burrowing back under the covers. "You take Nomi."

"Deal." Hernando buttons up his shirt, smiling as he hears Lito talking to someone—likely Capheus, if the way they seem to be very excited over the news is any indication—over the phone, and knows all at once that Lito's makeshift family is always going to be very lucky to have him.

* * *

 **idk if this fandom is even alive - much less if anyone's going to read this - but anyway if you want to rant with me over this or other random stuff hmu on tumblr at djsugar. or just message me here, but either way i would love it**


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